Swivel



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SWIVEL Filed Aug. 15, 196s 4 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR. lzcl-IAKv cvcowlcz Nov. 3, 1970- cYcowlCz 3,537,675

` A swIvEL f Filed Aug. 15, 196s A 4 sheets-sheet 4 INVENTOR. IZCHAK CYCOWICZ BY l United States Patent O 3,537,675 SWIVEL Izchak Cycowicz, Brooklyn, N.Y., assgnor to Mohasco Industries, Inc., Amsterdam, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 15, 1968, Ser. No. 752,975 Int. Cl. A47c 3/18 U.S. Cl. 248-417 6 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A memory swivel device comprising a spring biased plate resiliently connected to a second plate by spring means mounted exteriorly of the swivel. The two plates are mounted in face-to-face relation, and one of the plates has a lug extending from one of its surfaces through an aperture in the other plate. An extension spring or springs are connected between a lug and a point or points, respectively, on the outside surface of the second plate so that upon rotation of one of the plates relative to the other plate, a force will be applied to return the one plate to its normal at home position.

The instant invention relates to a swivel device, and more particularly to a swivel device of the so called memory type. Memory type swivels are swivels constructed in such a manner that, when a chair or the like equipped with such a swivel is rotated from a predetermined normally aligned position, if the rotating force is then removed from the chair, a self-contained mechanism forming a part of the swivel will cause the chair to be rotated to its normal aligned position. Such swivels find wide acceptance due to the fact that chairs equipped with them will, when unoccuppied, maintain an aligned position and provide for a neater appearance whenever the chairs are unoccupied. For example, if a number of swivel chairs are located at a table, at a bar, or in some other similar arrangement, if such chairs are equipped with non-memory swivels then, whenever these chairs are unoccupied, unless they are individually aligned, they generally tend to assume a helter-skelter appearance due to the fact that individual chairs may be out of alignment relative to the other of ysuch chairs. On the other hand, if

such groupings of chairs are equipped with memory swivel, devices, so long as the chairs were originally properly aligned relative to each other, whenever such chairs became unoccupied the memory device tends to return each chair to its previously aligned position.

This invention has as an object the provision of a memory swivel device having an improved construction relative to memory swivel devices heretofore known in the art. The swivel of the instant invention has improved construction and operating characteristics and utilizes novel means for maintaining the plates of the swivel in aligned position and returning the movable plate to its normally aligned position whenever outside forces tending to rotate the movable plate out of alignment are removed.

The above and further objects and features of the instant invention become more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a top plan view of the swivel.

FIG. 2 is a section view of the swivel taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the swivel.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view, in section, of the swivel assembly.

PIG. Sis a section view of the swivel incorporated into a swivel chair construction.

A shaped lower supporting plate 21 is provided with a 3,537,675 Patented Nov. 3, 1970 raceway 22 for the reception of a plurality of ball bearings 24. The ball bearings 24 are retained in spaced apart relation in the channel 22 by means of a suitable retaining ring 23. Extending upwardly from the upper surface 26 of the lower support plate 21 are a pair of ears 28 which may be struck from the plate itself.

Another portion of the lower support plate 21 is struck upwardly therefrom in an offset shape to form a lug 28a having an aperture therein. A rivet 29 is secured in the aperture in the lug member 28a.

Mounted atop the ball bearings 24 is an upper plate 31 having anges offset upwardly therefrom. The upper plate 31 has an edge portion 32 defining a centrally disposed aperture 33, the diameter of which is suiiiciently large to enable the upper and lower plates to rotate relative to each other in such a manner that the surface 32 of the upper plate 31 clears the lug 28a.

A part of the edge portion 32 of the upper plate 31 is turned downwardly to form a dog 34. The upturned portions 28 of the lower support plate 21 and the turned down dog 34 of the upper plate 31 are located in such a manner that upon rotation of the upper plate 31 relative to the lower plate 21, rotation of the upper plate will be limited by its engagement, in either direction, with the dogs 28 formed inthe lower plate 21.

A cup-shaped washer 37 having an edge portion defining a centrally disposed aperture, and having a recess formed in its outer edge is disposed in the central aperture of the upper plate 31 in such a manner that the recess therein ts around the lug 28a formed on the lower plate 21. Any suitable bearing means may be interposed between the washer 37 and the upper plate 31, for example, a nylon bearing 36.

The above-described assembly is held together by a centrally disposed rivet 42, or any other suitable connector passing through the centrally disposed apertures of the assembly.

A retaining lip `43 may be attached to the upper plate member 31. Connection of the lip 43 to the plate 31 is by means of a plurality of rivets 44, 45, and 46. The retaining lip 43 may carry suitable bearing elements 47, and serves to keep the upper and lower plates from separating upon tilting movement of the swivel. Secured to and extending from each of the rivets 44, 45, and 46 to the rivet 29 is an extension spring 50, 51, and 52, respectively.

A cupped plate member 54 is secured to the underside of the plate member 21 by rivets 56. The plate member 54 receives a hanged threaded nut 58 in an aperture formed thereon. The nut 58 has its uppermost thread distorted to act as a stop for a threaded member which is threaded into such nut as described below.

The swivel may be attached to the underside of a chair seat S9 by bolts, screws, or the like, passing through openings 60 formed in the upper plate member 31, and secured in abutting relationship to a collar 64 of a supporting pedestal assembly by a threaded member 66 passing through said collar 64.

The operation of the swivel above-described is such that whenever a chair equipped with such a swivel is unoccupied, the springs 50, 51, and S2 will cause the upper and lower plates 21 and 31 to assume the relative position of FIG. l. Should the chair be swiveled out of its FIG. l position, the upper plate 31 connected to the seat 59 will rotate about the center connector 42. Such rotation may be in any direction, i.e., clockwise or counterclockwise in FIG. 1, with the plate 31 being limited in its extent of travel by the engagement of the dog 34 formed in the upper plate member 31 with either of the ears 28 of the lower plate member 21. In so rotating, the upper plate member 31 will carry along with it one end of each of the springs 50, 51, and 52 which, as above described,

are connected between the movable upper plate 31 and the lower plate 21.

When, subsequently, the force which has moved the upper plate away from center is removed, the springs will apply a force to return the upper plate to its normal centered position.

Although in the above embodiment I show a plurality of springs connected between the plates 21 and 31, I have found that the swivel of the instant disclosure will function with one spring centrally located, such as the spring 51, or either two springs located in the positions of 50k and 52.

Should it be desirable, the embodiment above described may be departed from to provide a memory type swivel which may be swiveled in any direction an unlimited distance. By omitting both of the ears 28 or the dog 34, or all three, the limitation on travel of the upper plate 31 is removed, and this plate is free to travel an unlimited distance about the center connector 42, yet whenever the force which has moved the upper plate from its home position is removed, the springs 50, 51, and 52 will still apply forces to return the upper plate to its normally center position. In the latter embodiment the memory device will serve to return the upper plate 31 to its home position in that direction which requires the least amount of travel. For example, if the upper plate 31, FIG. 1, is moved a sufficient distance counterclockwise so that the rivet 29 assumes the 12 oclock position, the springs would return the upper plate clockwise to the home position; while if the upper plate were rotated counterclockwise a distance sufiicient to cause the rivet 29 to assume the 6 oclock position, when the exterior force is removed, the springs would return the upper plate 31 to its home position in a counterclockwise direction.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variations may be made in the embodiment here chosen for illustrating the present invention without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A swivel comprising first and second plates operatively connected to each other for rotational movement of one of said plates relative to the other of said plates, said first plate having a plurality of projections extending from a surface thereof towards said second plate, said second plate having a projection extending from one surface thereof toward said first plate, Said second plate having an edge portion defining an aperture therein, a lug extending from a surface of said first plate through said aperture, and resilient means located exteriorly of both said plates and operatively connected between said lug and said second plate.

2. A swivel comprising first and second plates operatively connected to each other for rotational movement of one of said plates relative to the other of said plates, a pair of projections extending from the inside surface of said first of said plates toward said other plate, a projection extending from the inside surface of said second plate toward said one plate, said projections located relative to each other so that upon rotational movement of said second plate relative to said first plate at least one of said projections on said first plate stands in blocking relationship to said projection on said second plate, said second plate having an edge portion defining an aperture therein, a lug extending from a surfaceof said first plate through said aperture and spring means located exteriorly of both of said plates and connected between said lug and said second plate to normally maintain said plates in a predetermined position relative to each other.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein, said resilient means includes a plurality of springs connected between said lug and spaced apart points on said second plate.

4. The invention of claim 2 wherein, said spring means includes a plurality of springs connected between said lug and spaced apart points on said second plate.

5. A swivel comprising first and second plates operatively connected to each other for rotational movement of one of said plates relative to the other of said plates, said second plate having an edge portion defining an aperture therein, a lug extending from a surface of said first plate through said aperture, and resilient means located exteriorly of both of said plates and operatively connected between said lug and said second plate.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein, said resilient means includes a plurality of springs connected between said lug and spaced apart points on said second plate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 901,090 10/ 1908 Frey 248-417 1,712,727 5/ 1929 Birdsall 248-417 2,364,225 12/1944 Kiefer 7A8-4l7 3,199,826 8/ 1965 Miller et al 248-417 3,224,724 12/ 1965 Allred 248-417 FOREIGN PATENTS 272,429 10/ 1964 Australia.

MARION PARSONS, IR., Primary Examiner 

